


Make Amends

by elissanerdwriter



Series: Critrole Relationships Week [3]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Past Character Death, Spoilers for Final Arc, critrole rsweek, they're doing the best they can
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-25 17:08:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14981708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elissanerdwriter/pseuds/elissanerdwriter
Summary: The last vestiges of sunset were fading from the sky, leaving it a deep violet tinged with blue, when Keyleth dropped her hood back and stepped into the warmth of the familiar store. She inhaled slowly, taking in the comfortingly heavy scent of incense and a sharp smell that couldn’t be described as anything but the presence of magic. “I see you’ve expanded a lot.”The man behind the counter stood up from where he was organizing potions in a glass display case. For a second he looked startled and afraid, a thin trail of purple light forming around his fingers— but the second he saw the redheaded half-elf, his whole body relaxed. “Keyleth. Darling, I’m so glad you could stop by.”





	Make Amends

**Author's Note:**

> Day 3 of Critical Role Relationships Week: Keyleth & Shaun Gilmore
> 
> Spoilers for the final arc, for fairly obvious reasons. Unbeta'd and mostly unedited because I'm still trying to write the rest of the week (yikes).

The last vestiges of sunset were fading from the sky, leaving it a deep violet tinged with blue, when Keyleth dropped her hood back and stepped into the warmth of the familiar store. She inhaled slowly, taking in the comfortingly heavy scent of incense and a sharp smell that couldn’t be described as anything but the presence of magic. Overhead, the ceiling was obscured by swathes of fabric in dazzling shades of red, purple, blue, and pink, and little lanterns of magical light were suspended in the space between the hangings and the tops of the dark wood shelves. Keyleth’s lips spread into a smile as she walked towards the counter, looking up at the animated statue of a miniature unicorn that walked back and forth across the shelves and tossed its iridescent mane. “I see you’ve expanded a lot.”

The man behind the counter stood up from where he was organizing potions in a glass display case. For a second he looked startled and afraid, a thin trail of purple light forming around his fingers— but the second he saw the redheaded half-elf, his whole body relaxed. “Keyleth. Darling, I’m so glad you could stop by.”

He hurried around the counter and pulled Keyleth into a dramatic embrace that she gladly returned. When he pulled away to study her face, she returned the look and found, to her dismay, a handful of white hairs accenting his dark hair and goatee. Lines were etched lightly into his face and she guiltily realized that she couldn’t be entirely sure they were from laughs and not frowns. He’d aged dramatically, for such a relatively short time. “Gilmore,” she said fondly. “I’ve missed you. I’m so sorry it took this long to make it back.”

“I’ll just have to open a branch in Zephrah, then,” he said, waving her off and circling back to the case. “I hope you don’t mind if I continue to run inventory, my dear, Sherry took the day off to spend with her family and it’s taking an eternity by myself. I’d worry what I’d do without her, but I think she’ll be running this place long after I’m finished with it.”

Keyleth hovered behind him, feeling a bit of her old awkwardness falling back into place. “Can I help with anything?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare impose on a guest in that manner,” he tutted. Before she could decide if it was appropriate to protest, he hesitated and amended, “But an old friend, one might be willing to foist some duties onto. If you could make sure that count from the day’s sales is accurate to the number of remaining items, I’d be much obliged.”

She picked up the parchment full of neat handwriting he was pointing at and went to work checking off the counts. After a few minutes of peaceful cohabitation, Gilmore sat back on his heels and sighed. “I don’t think we can avoid this conversation any longer, Keyleth. It’s a disservice to both of us— and to him, I suppose, if he’s in a position to care anymore.”

Keyleth set the list down, watching her hand carefully to make sure it wasn’t shaking. Of course, she’d known this was coming. It was some large part of why she’d come here. “Yes, I think that would be… wise.”

Gilmore settled rather gracelessly on the floor next to her, and she leaned back against the display case. “So. You know he’s… not coming back.”

“Yes.”

She waited for his usual elaboration, slightly rambling as always, but he was rubbing the bridge of his nose absently. Away from the shop’s lights, he looked more tired, older, more haunted.

“Okay. Did anyone tell you what happened?”

She already knew the answer. He shook his head, loose hair settling over his eyes. “All I know is that he was alive when I was… kidnapped, but he seemed somewhat different. Vex told me he’d died earlier than that when she came by a few weeks ago, but she didn’t tell me how that was, exactly.”

Keyleth nodded. She didn’t want to impose on him, but she desperately wanted him to put up some of his usual front, his charisma. Ever since she’d seen his blank stare in Thar Amphala, even since they’d found him after the fall of Emon, she hadn’t been able to reconcile his wisdom and his charm with this… broken, hurt man.  _ And part of it is my fault. _ “He was killed by Vecna. Disintegrated. We had no way to get him back, we just didn’t have time. I thought he… I thought he was gone. For good. But then he just came strolling back in, completely buck-naked, and I could have killed him myself, I could have.”

For whatever reason she started giggling, immediately clasping her hand over her mouth, but Gilmore was laughing too. “That sounds like our Vax’ildan, taking the most dramatic entrance possible.”

“Yes, well. He had a chance, and he took it,” Keyleth said, taking a deep breath and leaning back again. “Turned out he’d made a pact with the Raven Queen that he could come back to help us until Vecna was defeated. And that would be… that would be it. Nothing we could do. I guess.”

Gilmore exhaled slowly, staring at the complicated parquet floor. “Well. That’s also just like him, isn’t it?”

“I guess so. We beat Vecna, had a day of festivities, and then she took him away.”

She could feel tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, threatening to break the floodgates. She’d been okay for a few days, it was about time for a deluge. Gilmore was tracing symbols onto the floor that she was pretty sure would cause some powerful protection spells if he were putting any focus into them.

“And so he leaves us both alone.”

“Vex, too,” Keyleth said quickly, rubbing her eyes quickly. “She was devastated.”

“I can imagine,” Gilmore murmured.

Finally, Keyleth shifted on her knees to look him in the eyes. “Look, Gilmore, I came to say I’m sorry. We should have told you what was going to happen when we… found you. We should have given you time to say goodbye.  _ He _ should have. And it’s too late now, and all I’m doing is… dealing with his fallout. You deserved better. You still do. But you also deserved him. And I—” Her voice cracked and she dropped her gaze to her hands where they rested in her lap. “I took him from you.”

Gilmore was silent for a long, long moment, to the point where Keyleth started glancing over at him to make sure he was okay (enough). His brow was furrowed deeply, accentuating the lines around his eyes.

“Thank you, my dear. I appreciate that you could see the difficulty I was having with Vax’ildan’s… method of departure, both from my life and from his. But I never want you to think that any of this is your fault. You have always done the best you could, and I know you would never hurt me intentionally. This was a choice he made, and the conflict was between he and I alone.” He looked up at her, and she could see the pain in his gaze even as he smiled. “I would not want to ruin the relationship we still have with each other, connected as we are through your group… and through him.”

Keyleth bit her lip, trying to think through her response. She didn’t know what she expected— that he would hate her, that things would be complicated and difficult— but this was so much better. Tears beginning to leave hot streaks down her cheeks, she leaned closer to him and then paused. “Can I hug you? You’re not injured right now, are you?”

He laughed softly. “No, no, I’m doing much better. A hug would be much appreciated, in fact.”

Keyleth wrapped her arms around his shoulders, crying in earnest now. He rubbed her back gently and she patted him a bit awkwardly, feeling his breathing start to shudder too. “I’m very glad we’re friends, Gilmore. I’m sorry we made you— I’m sorry you had to go through everything.”

“That’s right,” he said, voice thick. “It was my choice, Keyleth. I had to defend my city, our people. I knew what I was getting into. Vox Machina aren’t the only heroes on Tal’Dorei, you know.”

“I know, I do,” Keyleth replied, sitting back again and giving him a tearful smile.

They sat for a second before Keyleth snapped her fingers. “Oh, I know what I meant to get!”

“What?”

She grinned. “I need a potion for Vex. She said you’d know what she meant.”

Gilmore’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, I do. Give me just a moment and I’ll have it ready for her.”

He vanished into the back room and Keyleth looked up fondly at the familiar trappings of the store. Even as Gilmore expanded and created new stores with slight variations to fit their locations, they all felt so strongly like him. She was in Whitestone, where he was still spending time until his Emon store and house were fully rebuilt, so Vex could have come herself— but she knew Vex wanted her to check in with Gilmore herself.

Gilmore came back in holding a small purple bottle. Keyleth stood to greet him, smoothing out her cloak.  “She should know how to use it by now, but remind her— five drops on the tongue… as needed.”

“I will. And Gilmore—” He looked at her patiently, eyebrows raised. “Thank you so much. I’ll come around as often as I can, when I’m in Whitestone. We have some arrangements to make, so I’ll be around for a little while.”

He nodded. “Wonderful. And thank  _ you _ , Keyleth. I wish you all the best.”

She turned to leave, but suddenly his hand was on her arm, spinning her back around. She had to grab onto him to keep from falling. “Wait. I don’t— I just wanted to say. I don’t regret loving him. Not one bit. He made me feel warm and sexy and loved and… happy. All the pain? I kept coming back because it felt worth it.”

Keyleth didn’t know what he wanted from her, but she could see some kind of desperation in his dark shining eyes, like he was asking for… permission. Suddenly she understood.

“I know, Gil. I loved him so much and I always will. But I think… I don’t think we should stay stuck on him. I don’t think he’d want that. We’ve got plenty of time left. We don’t have to come back anymore.”

He gave her a small but genuine smile, then looked down at the floor of his beautiful shop, nodding absently. She squeezed his shoulder and walked out of the store, into the rainy night. The warmth in her chest didn’t seem to fade.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr @elissanerdwriter. The schedule for my generated pairings for the rest of the week is:  
> Sunday: Cassandra & Vax'ildan  
> Monday: Kima & Tary  
> Tuesday: Keyleth & Gilmore  
> Wednesday: Yasha & Molly  
> Thursday: Vex &/ Zahra  
> Friday: Zahra & Gilmore  
> Saturday: Pike & Trinket


End file.
